The experts made the call at the ninth International Yaba Research Conference 2026, organised by the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, under the theme “Mental Health Research at the Crossroads – Challenges, Policies and Reforms in Africa.”

Professor of Psychiatry at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Taiwo Sheikh, urged Nigeria and other African countries to invest more in research, arguing that inadequate domestic funding has limited the continent’s contribution to global mental health knowledge.

Sheikh, who is the president-elect of the African Association of Psychiatrists and president of the Biological Psychiatry Society of Nigeria, called for stronger government funding and greater African leadership in deciding which research questions should receive attention.

He argued that research priorities should reflect the needs of local communities rather than being determined mainly by international funding agencies. According to him, reliance on external grants can leave researchers studying issues that do not adequately address the most pressing challenges facing Nigerians.

Sheikh cited figures presented at the conference indicating that Africa accounts for about 17 per cent of the global population but contributes only 1.8 per cent of worldwide mental health research output and receives approximately 0.3 per cent of global research funding. These figures were presented by the experts and were not independently verified.

He recommended that African governments allocate 2.5 per cent of their health research budgets to mental health implementation research, which focuses on turning evidence into practical improvements in healthcare delivery. He also proposed the creation of an Africa Mental Health Research Fund under the African Union, potentially supported by revenue from selected taxes.

The psychiatrist called on international funders to give African researchers greater leadership in studies conducted on the continent and ensure that a substantial share of research funding supports local institutions and research priorities.

He further urged researchers to develop data collection tools suited to African populations instead of relying exclusively on instruments designed for Western settings. He said locally generated evidence would help governments understand the mental health needs of their citizens and develop more effective responses.

Sheikh also stressed the need for researchers to make their findings accessible to policymakers. He encouraged researchers conducting studies relevant to particular states or communities to share their findings directly with the appropriate ministries and public institutions so that the evidence could inform decisions.

The professor criticised what he described as inadequate implementation of Nigeria’s Mental Health Act, which provides a legal framework for coordinating mental health services and protecting the rights of people living with mental health conditions.

The National Mental Health Act, 2021, received presidential assent in December 2022 and provides for the establishment of a Department of Mental Health Services within the Federal Ministry of Health. Sheikh said stronger implementation was needed to improve coordination, research, data collection and surveillance across the country’s healthcare system.

He argued that effective implementation would help the government identify gaps in mental health services, coordinate research activities and develop policies based on reliable evidence.

The Medical Director of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Dr Olugbenga Owoeye, also called for increased domestic investment in mental health research, warning that inadequate funding and stigma continued to limit progress across Africa.

Owoeye said Nigerian researchers often depended on foreign grants because local funding opportunities were insufficient. He added that research published in international journals did not always reach government officials responsible for planning and delivering mental health services.

He emphasised that research findings needed to be accessible and practical if they were to influence public policy and improve care for people living with mental health conditions.

Owoeye also cited figures presented at the conference suggesting that more than 150 million Africans live with mental health conditions, while clinical trials conducted in Africa account for about one per cent of the global total. The estimates were presented by the speaker and were not independently verified for this report.

He warned that stigma could discourage people from seeking professional help and called for greater public awareness and improved access to treatment. He also noted that people managing long-term illnesses, including hypertension and diabetes, may experience depression and other mental health difficulties, highlighting the importance of integrating mental healthcare into broader health services.

Representing the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, the Director-in-Charge of Special Projects and Mental Health at the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Tolu Ajomale, said the state was working to strengthen the link between research and policymaking.

Ajomale said the ministry had established structures to coordinate research, including a Health Research Ethics Committee that reviews studies and an intellectual property desk intended to support the management and use of research knowledge.

He said reliable data and research were important for developing effective government programmes and ensuring that policies responded to the needs of residents.

The Chairperson of the International Yaba Research Conference, Professor Mashudat Bello-Mojeed, said the annual event provides a platform for researchers from the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital and other institutions to present findings, discuss challenges and explore reforms in mental healthcare.

Bello-Mojeed said mental health had historically received insufficient attention and that the conference was designed to encourage researchers to document and publish their work while promoting the practical use of evidence to improve services.

She also reported an increase in research presentations since the conference began, saying the event had grown from fewer than 10 papers annually to more than 40 research presentations in a day.

The calls come amid continuing concerns about the funding of mental health services and research in Africa. A 2026 analysis published by the Science for Africa Foundation reported that less than one per cent of the global mental health research funding captured in its dataset from 2014 to 2023 reached researchers based in low- and middle-income countries, underscoring concerns about the limited resources available to institutions in many African countries.

The experts said stronger domestic investment, locally relevant research, effective implementation of existing legislation and closer cooperation between researchers and policymakers would be essential to improving mental health services across Nigeria and the wider continent.

Reporting by TalkNaijaMedia